Tobacco is Not the Answer to Stress; MSDH Recommends Healthier Alternatives

If you are among the hundreds of thousands of Mississippians who reach for tobacco – especially cigarettes – to cope with stress, please know that the habit is doing more harm than good.

While nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, can create temporary feelings of relaxation, it also increases your heart rate and blood pressure, mimicking the body’s stress response. And once nicotine’s effects wear off, you’re worse off than when you started, as withdrawal symptoms, including irritability and anxiety, kick in.

In regular tobacco users, the habit is linked to higher stress levels, increased anxiety, and the inability to cope with stress naturally. Of course, mental health is only one negative effect. Tobacco use also significantly increases your risk of developing serious health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

If you use tobacco, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH is encouraging you to try healthier alternatives for reducing stress. Check out some recommendations from smokefree.gov:

• Relax. Practicing relaxation techniques, such as those below, may improve your health and help you manage your stress in positive ways.

• Breathe. Taking a few slow, deep breaths (in through your nose, out through your mouth) helps your body start to relax.

• Release. A warm bath, massage, or stretching can help release tension.

• Visualize a place where you feel relaxed and imagine you are there for a few minutes.

• Exercise, even a short walk, sends natural chemicals that help your mood.

• Talk. Share your feelings with others so they can support your smoke-free journey.

• Focus on the “here and now,” not tomorrow’s troubles.

• Take care of yourself. Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and get enough sleep.

• Do something good for others; it’ll make you feel better.

• Decaffeinate. Replace caffeinated drinks with herbal teas and water with lemon.

• Accept. Remember that there will always be good days and bad days.

• Remember. You are not alone.

If you smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or use any other form of tobacco, MSDH can help you quit. Resources to help can be found here: https://quitnow.net/ms

Get up to date news and updates at: www.msdh.ms.gov. and on social media: facebook.com/HealthyMS, twitter.com/msdh and Instagram.com/healthy.ms Download the new MSDH Healthy App for free in Apple and Android stores.